Perth resilient during slowdown

Business travel to Western Australia has held up well despite the global economic slowdown, according to hoteliers in the state capital Perth.

Five-star hotels in the city such as the Hyatt Regency, Sheraton Perth and Parmelia Hilton are both reporting occupancy in the 75 percent range.

While softening room rates have helped stimulate demand, the underlying factor is Western Australia’s continuing role in mineral production for products such as iron ore, nickel, gold and aluminum, which are in strong demand for the still expanding economies of China, Vietnam and a number of other Asian countries. The state is also rich in natural gas and petroleum.

Perth lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi said: “Perth is a major business destination with great links to the developing economies of Asia.” She said that already there were encouraging signs that a new upturn was underway.

Christine McLean, managing director of the Perth Convention Bureau, said that although Perth was a city to do business in, it also offered “fresh air and open spaces” that were rarely found in many other Asia-Pacific business hubs.

The city was recently ranked fifth best destination in the world for business travel by the Economist Intelligence Unit. It assessed 140 cities based on stability, health care, education, infrastructure and culture and environment, giving each one a rating out of 100.